BIOL 2030 Hidden Organisms: Applied Microbiology for Midwives, 1 cr.

Offered limited terms (may be required by some states for licensure)

PREREQUISITE: Completion of Phase One classes

Students study various pathogens and the role they play in well-person and perinatal health. Students receive a basic overview of the fundamentals of microbiology, including laboratory techniques, microbial characteristics, and control of infections and drug resistance. Students gain understanding of the normal flora of the reproductive system, GI tract, urinary tract, and skin. This course is practical for midwives because it focuses on etiology, identification, and treatment of infections that are relevant to well-person and perinatal care. In addition, it gives some perspective on the course of treatment prescribed by physicians. This information will allow the midwife to consult, refer, or transfer care to a physician with more confidence and knowledge to be a better link between the medical and traditional health world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Differentiate the major characteristics of each group of microorganisms: bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, viruses and multicellular animal parasites.

2. Describe the structure of gram-positive and gram-negative cell walls and explain their differences.

3. Explain the formation of biofilms and discuss their importance in healthcare.

4. Describe four types of host-microbe relationships.

5. Explain normal microbiota and their function in the human body.

6. Explain four techniques for controlling the spread of microorganisms in the healthcare setting.

7. Name and describe factors that need to be considered in selecting an antimicrobial drug.

8. Explain the development of drug resistance by microorganisms and describe how drug resistance can be controlled.

9. Describe the common microbial infections that affect the genitourinary tract of those with a uterus and associated organs, methods for diagnosis, preventive measures, and different methods of treatment.

10. Describe how the microbiome changes throughout the lifespan.

11. Describe the microbiology of congenital infections.

Course Catalog - Midwives College of Utah. (n.d.). Midwives College of Utah. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.midwifery.edu/course-catalog/